Grazing system management based on equilibrium and non-equilibrium ecology

The equilibrium and non-equilibrium theory,as an ecological base for grazing system management in arid-lands,is reviewed in this paper.The conversion from equilibrium to non-equilibrium ecology as applied to arid and semi-arid grazing system management is also explained.Further,some non-equilibrium characteristics of vegetation dynamics are summarized and the role of event-driven process in triggering vegetation shifts is emphasized for arid-lands.Implications of non-equilibrium characteristics for the grazing system management are explicated.In conclusion,the applicability of both the equilibrium and non-equilibrium theory to grazing system management is discussed.Taking the thicketization of steppe as an example,the necessity for introducing the non-equilibrium theory into grazing system management in Xi-lin River Basin, Inner Mongolia is pointed out.